The Castle Kids
by marvelotex
Summary: The year is 2068. Political tension is rising amongst the wizard world as years of issues are suddenly on the front of everyone's minds. It is here that we find five first-years, ready to start their time at Hogwarts. Felix, Lavinia, Christian, Hekate, and Persephone have hardly anything in common, yet form an alliance as their world begins to spin around them.


**Author's Note and Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter Universe, or any of the characters that have appeared in any of JK Rowling's books, the related films, or any online content. I do, however, own the many OCs in this piece of fiction.**

The year is 2068. Political tension is rising in the wizarding world, causing relations to tear apart apart and people's morals to be questioned.

The impending war could be attributed to many things, rising unrest by oppressed groups, increased division between the wizarding world and the muggle world, and recent Ministry leadership decisions. But for some, the impending war started forty-nine years ago, during the Carruse Reforms.

George Carruse was a Ravenclaw from a pure-blood family, and inspired by the likes of Sirius Black and Nymphadora Tonks, assumed a status as a blood traitor by taking a stance on basic human rights contrary to his parents. But his name was still spoken in his household until he graduated, and left England to study to become a computer scientist in America. A rather dramatic change from the archaic machinery used in Hogwarts. His career inspired a return to the British Isles in 2018 to attempt to implement a modern technological system in wizards' ordinary lives, a successful endeavour, at least in the more modern cities of London, Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, but when he brought the simple idea of phones for communication and basic computer systems to minimize the incredible amounts of paperwork to the Ministry, he was met with closed restraints, Carruse campaigned, knocking on the doors of Ministry workers and making speeches at Inns and Bars, until he had enough his year and a half of work concluded in November of 2019 when the lower Ministry offices implemented a rudimentary internet-based messaging system, and some administration offices started using a database to keep track of employment and payments. Carruse continued his work for the next five years, though less publicized, to work to integrate the Ministry to a technological system, which greatly increased the efficiency of the entire organization. He also set up an electrical system and internet access in Hogwarts, allowing students to use their smartphones, plug in blow dryer and hair straighteners, and for a small group of Ravenclaw students to create a wizards-only browser, internet niche, and websites, all under protection from being discovered by the muggle world. Carruse was killed in 2024, on November 3, three days before the fifth anniversary of the first Muggle Electronic Technology (now commonly called MET) used in the Ministry by a backfired spell, originally with the intent of doing minor electrical repair on his home computer.

The next set of changes were spurred by Ajax Lufkin, a journalist and Swedish immigrant, in 2026. Upon finding that the major news source in England for witches and wizards, the _Daily Prophet_ , was all but controlled by the Ministry of Magic. Lufkin started writing opinion pieces in smaller papers, all while continuously submitting work the _Daily Prophet_ , attempting to get published. Eight months later, Lufkin had a dedicated following of journalists and a few readers who joined forces to pressure the Ministry of Magic and the _Daily Prophet_ to create some statement of the freedom of the press and of speech. The Ministry gave in on June 10, under the encouragement Minister of Magic Hermione Granger, who was receiving pushback by the Wizengamot and other administrators groups, creating amendments to its legal system, showing support for freedom of the press. The _Daily Prophet_ never actually left Ministry rule, but three new independent newspapers now exist, all with major followings, _The Lufkin Free Press_ , established almost immediately after the Ministry's decision, which now boasts subscription numbers past that of the _Daily Prophet_ , _The Owlry Banner,_ a paper run specifically for Scotland and Northern Ireland, and _The Dragon_ , a news source with a largely international readership, established and produced by Hogwarts students, with a strong pride in its Middle Papers, a place where students, faculty, and anyone else interested, may submit work to be published.

The Lufkin Reforms are considered to have been one of the largest changes in wizarding culture since Voldemort's ideological separations. But one Scottish woman, Ione Maylie, a longtime opponent of the Ministry since she was fired on account of missing too many days due to full moons, managed to create a swift turnaround in wizards' views on half-humans, humanoids (currently still in use as the term for werewolves, centaurs, and merpeople, though generally regarded as offensive as lycanthropy is condition, while the other two are separate species, though usage has not faded as there is not currently another term), and non-humans in addition to a cultural inclusion of muggle-borns. Ione Maylie's revolution was poorly recorded and occurred over the course of one week. It is unknown as to how Maylie managed to amass as many people as she did, but it can only be assumed that it was a fairly easy task. So many elves, werewolves, centaurs, half-giants, half-veela, and half-vampires in addition to muggleborns, were so fed up with the discrimination faced that they peacefully raided the Ministry. Since the disappearance of Hermione Granger, about five years prior, the government wasn't supporting many non-purehumans. The discrimination alone was enough to unite hundreds. After about ten minutes of their sit-in around the Ministry fountain, guards began to force protesters to leave, or be forced out. Few actually left, and the guards attempted to remove the 400+ people, and we unsuccessful. After a week of skirmishes, (in which no one is certain how protesters attained food) the protesters prevailed, causing the Ministry to create new legislation preventing discrimination and harassment to non-purehumans. Though the treaty did state that persons without human descent (like elves and centaurs) could not attend Hogwarts, and may have certain Ministry jobs barred from them, the non-humans were granted many additional rights.

It is now, almost 30 years later, and the rhetoric between Declan Trotter and Nerissa Carter, both members of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement personnel, and Clara Hollingberry and Bartemius Sloper, two brilliant potioneers and magizoologists with a penchant for defiance, has created a tense climate. Hollingberry and Sloper are fighting to repeal the government, and replace it with a democratic system, with representatives and leaders through popular election, a complete removal of the blood-status system, which in essence resembles a caste system, and create a Hogwarts program that better sets up students for jobs outside the wizarding world.

•

This climate is where we now find our five protagonists. Felix Muntz, a short and slim boy with spiked, dark hair and a face about three years too young for his eleven-year-old physique, is in his small room in an apartment in central London, packing a bag. Felix has always been one to leave everything to the last minute, and this is no exception. His mother will be home from her night shift at the hospital, where she's a top surgeon, at 8:13 a.m., and will prepare two slices of toast, two bowls of cereal, two cups of orange juice, and one cup of coffee after changing out of her uniform, and expect Felix to be down for breakfast at 8:25. Felix knows this and was supposed to be packed over a week ago.

By the time he hears the door opening, one minute later than usual (the Tube was probably running a tad late, or she had to take a longer walk due to construction), Felix is putting his last shirt into his bag, sitting on the suitcase, and zipping it up. Only a week ago he was walking through Diagon Alley, wading past the protesters in front of Gringotts on his way to exchange pounds for galleons, and now he's about to eat breakfast before getting on a train to spend a year learning magic.

•

Christian Larchwood, also eleven, bounces around excitedly as his father packs his trunk into the car. His father had told him he could pack in a normal suitcase or two, given that it would be more convenient and probably less awkward to move around, but Christian opted to pack in a trunk similar to the one that his mother used when she went to Hogwarts.

His mother walks out of the door of their cottage in the English countryside, in one arm Emily, the 4-month-old baby, and the other hand holding a box that rattled a bit, at which the sight of caused Christian to light up and grab it out of her hand. Thanking his mom, he runs back to the car and opens the trunk a bit to slip the box in. He turns to his mother, asking her if the kids at Hogwarts will make fun of him for his pierced ears. She reassures him that it will be fine, while his father says that if they do, then they're not worth having as friends. Smiling, Christian gives Emily a big hug, whispering into her ear that he'll miss her, and then gives an even bigger hug to his mom, who promises to write, and then he gets into the old SUV to drive to Kings Cross Station.

•

A car pulls out of an old brick home's driveway in Cardiff, holding Lavinia Kattenhorn, her older brother, Sebastian, and their parents, Alice and Lloyd. Lavinia has her headphones in, and is mentally prepared for the two hour train ride she is about to take to King's Cross, the first time will actually be getting on another train there. Sebastian is a fifth year and will be taking his OWLs, and already has his notes from last year open, beginning to study.

Lavinia is excited, as any should be on their first day of school, especially when that school is Hogwarts, but her excitement is lessened by the prospect of leaving Wales and her family. She knows that Sebastian puts up a front of caring and studiousness, but once he gets to Hogwarts, he'll abandon all of that. And abandon her. Alice Kattenhorn announces that it's time to get out, and Lloyd hands the two kids their bags, as they're waved off. A small bit of Lavinia is disappointed that her parents won't even come to King's Cross to see her off for her first year. She know's that they're short on money, plus Alice's job working as a ministry officer in Cardiff doesn't allow for even a day off, but the two of them surely remember the joy they surely felt on their first day, right?

•

Hekate Anderson is sitting in the large houses dining room, a plate of a full breakfast in front of her, nervous. The portkey to King's Cross will leave at 10:00, leaving her with some time to do last minute packing, say goodbye to people, eat breakfast. But she's finished packing, that task was completed over a week ago. There isn't really anyone to say goodbye to, other than Roslyn, the live-in cook and maid. Her parents left two days ago to attend some meeting with other old pureblood wizarding families in America, and she's not very hungry. Still, she blankly puts food in her mouth.

She's mostly nervous about other people. They'll probably pronounce her name wrong, with two syllables like heck-ate, or three, but the wrong three, like hick-a-tee. She'll have to slowly correct people, tell them that the stress is on the "ka" sound. She'll talk and people will ask if she's from _that_ Anderson family (she is), and if she answers that, they'll ask if she already knows magic (she doesn't). Hekate knows that she'll probably make friends, but they'll be few and far between. That's what she fears. Blanche, the perpetually tiny cat brushes up against her leg, startling Hekate, who then picks up the cat and places her on her lap.

•

The Prince family is considered the hippies of the purebloods. More eccentric than the Lovegood family, and part of a small sect of people who take divinity and astrology _very_ seriously. Persephone was born on the Spring equinox, when Pluto was rising, and the Prince family took that as a sign that she was meant to be a Persephone. The eldest Prince child very much lived up to her name. Whenever she went out for a walk, she always managed to come back wearing flowers in her hair, she had a love of pomegranates, and was always the best at speaking during funerals, even at a young age.

Persephone Prince now sits on the roof of her home, watching London wake up, the sun rise, and people's windows open. Her curly blonde hair tumbles down her back, mostly adhering to itself, though a few strands fly around in the wind. She knows that she needs to leave for King's Cross in a half hour, but she has one last thing to do. Peering out towards the Thames, she sees that last thing nearing. Three minutes later, the brown barn owl, aptly named Grey, lands next to Persephone, a short message tied to her ankle. Persephone opens it, smiling at her aunt's curling handwriting. The letter is exactly the thing she needs, a few words of encouragement before she heads off to a new part of her life.

•

Hundreds of children and teens are all making their way to King's Cross Station, and these five are amongst this select group of lovely students, all ready to spend another (or for some, a first) year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.


End file.
